The Keyboards Relationship to Music Notation By Kenny L

Music technology remained largely unchanged prior to the Renaissance. There were stringed instruments, woodwind, horns and various percussion instruments that had been around for some thousands of years. Though they were improved upon over time, and the playing techniques evolved, the basic instruments were essentially derived from the same designs as used in ancient Mesopotamia. That all changed though in the 1300's when a completely different musical instrument appeared, the keyboard.

The keyboard had its origin in ancient Greece when Ktesibios invented the one note pipe organ. The Romans later used this design in their arenas, to announce the beginning and ending of their spectacles like the Roman games. It was the loudest instrument available, and while not really musically useful, it served its purpose in context.

After the late 700's pipe organs made their appearance in the Catholic Church. The presiding pope would determine if the organ would be played or not. For instance St. Augustine did not allow it to be played during service and was apparently uncomfortable with music. Priests under Pope Gregory were not allowed to play instruments which meant only the human voice was accepted. Folk musicians of the time only had traditional instruments as there were no keyboards to play on.

Since the organ was affiliated with the Church, organs and conversely keyboards were considered sacred instruments. The appearance of the harpsichord further reinforced that perception and was considered a superior instrument. The royalty adopted the harpsichord and often when an event was planned, the music for it was written for and performed on the harpsichord. This attitude of the superiority of the keyboard carried onwards through the Baroque and Classical periods and even carries over into modern times.

The adoption of the keyboard also brought with it the birth of music notation. Music notation was embraced as a composer could write for a full orchestra easily on the range of the keyboard. Often newly commissioned works were written for and performed with keyboards as public perception reflected the belief in the before mentioned superiority of the keyboard.

In the fifteenth century, composers began to add more lines to their musical staffs and also began writing for more than one instrument at a time for music to be played simultaneously. The separate bass and treble clefs came into being to accommodate left and right hand playing, and to capture in notation the large array of notes afforded by the keyboard. The keyboard was also used to advantage by its ability to easily play chords and intervals thus working out harmonic ideas, leading to the heavy exploration of harmony by the great composers of the time.

The five lined staff came into being by the 17th century and became the standard for music notation and printing, providing a universal interface that all musicians could compose on for all instruments. Since then, the staff hasn't changed over the last four centuries and probably wont until something newer that can surpass it is invented

Even today modern composers still resort to composing for orchestra either at the piano with manuscript paper and pencil, or on a computer using manuscript software and perhaps electronic keyboards and software based instruments for sonification. The piano or an equivalent keyboard controller, provides the ideal range for composing for any instrument or groups of instruments desired. The tie between music notation and the keyboard is heavily entrenched and provides a solid ground for musical expression and composition.